Longwall mining machine



E. OTOOLE LONGWALL MINING MACHINE April 21, 1925.

Filed 1924 '7 Sheets-Sheet l Wines-sea zfzflp M E. OTOOLE LONGWALLMINING MACHINE April 21, 1925.

Filed 3, 1924 7 Sheets-Sk xeet 2 i/Zlnasses:

April 21, 1925.

E. OT OOLE LONGWALL MINING MACHINE '1' SheetsSheet 5 Filed Aug. 13, 1924AMZQ MM April 21, 1925.

E. OTOOLE LONGWALL MINING MACHINE April 21, 1925.

E. OTOOLE LONGWALL MINING MACHINE '7 Sheets-Sheet; 5

Filed Aug. 13, 1924 Inventor: @Wflffi 07-0045, 2%,

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Witnesses Y April 21, 1925.

E. OTOOLE LONGWALL MINING momma p Filed Aug. 15, 1924 '1 Sheets-Sheet 6a O v @L,

jnventar:

fitmsses: 207,; M

Patented Apr. 21,1925,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

nnwnnn OTOOLE, or GARY, wnsr VIRGIN-IA,

LONGWALL Mmme MACHINE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1,..EDWARD OTooLE, a citizen of the United States, andresident of Gary, in the county of McDowell and State of \Vest,Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in LongwallMming Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to mining machines and While not limited thereto,relates more particularly to a combined mining and loading machine ofthe longwall type.

One object of this invention is to providea machine of the classdescribed in which the cutting chain cooperates with the conveyertransporting the mlned materlal away.

from the face of the material to be mined. Another object is to providea novel form of folding flight conveyer particularly adapted for'usewith mining machines of the class described.

A further object is to provide a machine of the class described havingthe novel construction, design and combination of parts hereinafterdescribed andillustrated in the accompanying drawings- Figures 1 and l-show a top plan of a machine embodying my invention.

Figures 2 and 2 show a rear elevatlon of the same. I r

Figure 3 is an elevation of the butt end of the machine.

Figure ,4 is an enlarged plan v1ew ofthe head end of the machine showingthe drive mechanism.

Figure 5 is an enlarged rear elevation of the head end of the machine,showing the drive mechanism. V

Figure 6 is an elevation of the head'end of the machine.

Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmentary plan of the head end of the machine,showing the way the conveyer flights are folded.

Figure 8 is a detail sectional' view through the return passageway,showing folded c'onveyer flights.

Figure 9' is an enlarged plan view of the L butt end of the machine,with the cover plate removed to show vthe. means for,ex'- tending theconveyer flights into material engaging position. i

Figure 10 is a sectional elevation on the line -XX of Figure 9.

Figure 11 is a sectional elevation on the line I'III of Figure 1Referring more particularly to the drawings, the letter A designates theelongated main frame of the machine as a whole, which is composed of abottom plate 2, a main channel beam 3 extending longitudinally along therear edge of the plate 2, a second channel 4 securedon the bottom plateintermediate the rear and forward edges of the plate 2, and a pain ofspaced cutter chain guides 5 and 6 extend longitudinally adjacent theforward edge of and are secured to the bottom plate 2. A cover plate 8is secured to and extends between the channel beams 3 and 4, and asecond cover plate 9 is secured to and extends between the cutter chainguides 5 and 6. A plurality of skid bars 10 are secured to and extendtrans- 'versely across the bottom face of the bottom plate 2 and serveas both skids and stiffening members. M

A cutter chain idler s rocket 11 is journaled to rotate about a sustantially vertical axis in a bearing block 12 which is adjustablelongitudinally of the frame A by means of the .screw threaded adjustingbar 13 mounted in the rigid cross bar 14 secured between the cutterchain guides 5 and 6.

A'cutter chain head or power sprocket 15 is mounted on a substantiallyvertical shaft 16 journaled at the head end of the machine. A cutterchain 17 of standard design is trained over the sprockets 11 and 15 andpasses through the guides 5 and 6.

A conveyer'idler sprocket 19 is journaled to rotate about asubstantially vertical axis- .21 and the channel 4. The bearing block 20is adapted to be adjusted by means of a screw threaded adjusting rod 22threaded intoa fixed block 23.

, The head or loading. end of the frame A.

terial directly into cars. A conveyer head or power sprocket 25is-mounted on a substantially vertical shaft 26'at the-head end of theframe A.

- A conveyer chain 27 is trained around the sprockets 19 .and 25 andcarries conveyer be described.

The forward face of the channel 4 is provided with a hardened wear plate32 and the conveyer chain 27 and flights 28 are adapted to ride alongthis plate when conveying material, so that the rollers 31 will contactwith the plate and prevent the flights from moving about their pivotalconnections 30. Therefore, the flights will be held in extended positionto convey the mined material.

The main or rear channel member 3 is bent rearwardly at the head end ofthe frame, as at 33, to provide clearance for the extended conveyerflights 28 as they travel around the head sprocket 25. As the flightspass around the sprocket 25 they will engage the back of the channel 3and be moved about their pivotal connections 30 so as to fold back alongthe chain 27. The space between the channels 3 and 4 being considerablyless than the length of the conveyer flights 28, the flights will beheld in their folded position as they return to the butt and of themachine.

A wear and guide plate 34 is secured between the flanges of the channel4 and the rollers 31 of the conveyer flights 28 engage and run on thisplate during their return passage.

A guide or cam plate 35 is secured between the flanges of the channel 4adjacent the butt end of the frame and is curved rearwardly so as topass along the rear side of the channel 21' and around the idlersprocket 19 and join with the butt end of the plate 32. The plate 35 isslotted to permit the chain 27 to engage the teeth of the sprocket 19and join with the butt end of the plate32. The plate 35 is slotted topermit the chain 27 to engage the teeth of the sprocket 19 and alsoserve as a guide against which the rollers 31 of the flights 28 willengage and thus force the flights outwardly into extended or materialengaging position. The rear or main channel member 3 is also bentrearwardly at the butt end of the frame, as at 37, to provide clearanceforthe flights as they are forced into extended posilion.

The cover plate 8 is extended over the for- Ward edge of the channel 4,as at 37 and serves to maintain the conveyer chain 27 in position.

A plurality of worm and worm-wheel casings 38 are'secured at spacedintervals along the rear face of the main channel member 3 and suitableworm-wheels 39 are journaled therein which are meshed with worms 40 on apower shaft 41 extending along the rear of the machine and journaled insuitable bearings at each end of each of the plurality of boxes orvcasings 38.

The spindles 42 of the worm-wheels ,39 are provided with centrallyarranged squared openings. adapted to receive a filler bar 43 and thesquared forward end of a screw threaded feed bar 44. The bars 44 havescrew threaded connections with nuts 45 carried by the bases of a seriesof hydraulic jacks 46 arranged to the rear of the machine for supportingthe roof of the mine. It will be readily seen that the rotation of theworm-wheels 39 by the shaft 41 and worms 40 will rotate the bars 44 andthus cause them to rotate in the nuts 45 and be fed forward. The forceof the forward feeding bars 44 will be delivered directly through thefiller bars 43 to the channel 3 of the frame A of the machine and thusforce the machine forwardly into the material being mined.

The main frame A has its head end widened out and extended forwardly toprovide a support for the driving motor B and its associated gearing,shafting, etc., necessary to drive the machine.

The motor B is-mounted on the extreme forward portion of the main frameand has its armature shaft coupled directly to a shaft 48 which has abevel gear 49 on its rear end in mesh with a bevel gear 50 on asubstantially vertical stub shaft 51. The shaft 51 also carries asprocket 52 which is operatively connected by a chain 53 with a sprocket53 on the shaft 16 on which-the cutter chain head or power sprocket 15is mounted. From the foregoing it will be readily understood that thecutter chain is driven by the motor B through the above mechanism, andit is to be noted that the above drive connections are so arranged thatthe. cutter chain will be driven in a clockwise direction.

The shaft 48 is connected through suitable reducing gearin 55 to a shaft56 which carries a bevel gear 57 intermediate its ends and a clutch 58for operatively connecting the gear 57 with the shaft. The gear 57 is inmesh with a bevel gear 58 on a spur shaft 58 which is connected throughgears 58 to the power shaft 41 which extends lengthwise along the rearside of the machine.

The shaft 56 extends beyond the gear 57 to the rear of the main frameand has a gear 59 thereon adapted to be connected to or dis-J connectedfrom the shaft by means of a clutch 60. I The gear 59 is in mesh with agear 61 on a stub shaft 62 which also is provided with a sprocket 63.The sprocket 63 is connected by a chain 64 with a sprocket 65 on a stubshaft 66, which also carries a sprocket 67 which is connected to asprocket 68 on a head shaft 69 by a chain 69'. The shaft 69 carries abevel gear 70 which meshes with a bevel gear 71 on the conveyer headsprocket shaft 26.

The driving gearing and shafts for driving the conveyer chain 27 are soarranged and connected that the conveyer chain will be driven in acounter-clockwise direction, that is, in the opposite direction to thedirection of travel of the cutter chain .17,

so that the return strand of the cutter chain moves parallel with and inthe same direction as the working or conveying strand of the conveyingchain, and thus the cutting 'bits of the cutter chain and the flights ofthe conveyer will cooperate to move the.

mined material lengthwise of the machine.

A vertical bucket conveyer is located at the head end of the ,machine topick up a any small pieces or dust-like particles of the mined materialcarried out by the return strand of the cutter chain 17. This conveyerconsists of avertically disposed casing 72 having its side wall facingthe cutter chain open at its lower end to receive the material carriedout by the chain, and having an inclined outlet chute 72 at its upperend'extending over and discharging into the path of the conveyer flights.28. A shaft 73 is journaled adjacent the upper end of the-casing andthe shaft 56 passes.

through the lower end of the casing. Suitable sprockets 74 are mountedon the shafts 73 and 56, and conveyer chains 75 are trained over thesprockets 74 and carry buckets 76 adapted to pick up the materialcarried out by the cutter chain 17 and convey it up vto the upper end ofthe casing 72- and automatically discharge it into the chute 7 2 Theframe A may be and preferably is made in short length sectionsdetachably secured together to permit disassembling for facilitatingtransportation from place to place. The several sections, when the frameA is made in sections, are secured together at their rear edge by aflexible joint Y and at their forward edge by a flexible joint Theforward joint J consists of a pain vantage in that it permits a limitedvertical flexing movement of the sections to compensate for theunevenness of the floor of the mine or other obstructions over which themachine might pass.

The machine described in detail above has several novel features, suchas the novel form of'folding conveyer which permits the machine to bemade of less width than would be possible if the conveyer flights wereex tended during their return passage. Also the opposite movements ofthe cutter chain and conveyer chain permits a cooperation between thesetwo arts which results in a materially better iandling of the minedmaterial, and the particular form of conveyer serves to increase thecapacity of the conveyer materially beyond that heretofore thoughtpossible for flight conveyors of its class.

It will be understood that while I have described and shown only onespecific embodiment of my invention, 1 do not wish to be limited theretosince various modifications may be made without departing from the scopeof the invention as defined in the appended claims.-

1. A combined mining and loading .machine comprising an elongated mainframe, a cutter chain adapted to travel lengthwise of said machinearound a vertical axis in a clockwise direction, the forward or cuttingstrand of said cutting chain having its cutting bars extending beyondthe forward edge of said frame so-as to'undcrcut and form a kerf in thematerial to be mined and permit the material to break down on saidmachine, an endless conveyer mounted to the rear of said cutter chainand extending parallel with said cutter chain, said conveyer travelingaround a vertical axis in acounterclockwisedirection, and being providedwith overhanging horizontal extending flights, so that said conveyerflights co-operate with said cutter chain to convey the material brokendown on said machine lengthwise thereof.

2. A combined mining and loading machine comprising -an elongated mainframe,

a cutter chain adapted to travel, lengthwise of said machine around avertical axisin a clockwise direction, the forward or cutting strand ofcutter chain having its cutting bars extending beycnd'the forward edgeof said frame so as to undercut and form a kerf in the material to bemined, and permit the material to break down. on said machine, and anendless conveyer mounted immediately to the rear of'the return strand ofsaid cutter chain and extending parallel with said cutter chain, saidconveyer traveling around a vertical axis in a counterclockwisedirection, and being provided with overhanging horizontally extendingconveyer flights, so thatthe forward or conveying strand of saidconveyer cooperates with the return or rear strand of said cutter chainto convey the material broken down on said machine lengthwise thereof.

3. A combined mining and loading machine comprising an elongated mainframe, a cutter chain adapted to travel lengthwise of said machinearound a vertical axis in a clockwise direction, the forward or cuttingstrand of said cutting chain having its cutting bars extending beyondthe forward edge of said frame so as to undercut and form a kerf in thematerial tobe mined and permit the material to break down on saidmachine,

and an endless conveyer mounted immedi-' ately to the rear of the returnstrand of said cutter chain and extending parallel with said cuttei'chain, said conveyer traveling around a vertical axis in acounterclockwise direction, and being provided with overhanginghorizontally extending conveyer flights, so that the forward orconveying strand of said conveyer co-operates with the return or rearstrand of said cutting chain to convey the material broken down on saidmachine lengthwise thereof, and power means for operating said cutterchain and said conveyer.

4. A combined mining and loading machine, comprising an elongated mainframe, a cutter chain adapted to travel lengthwise of said machinearound a Vertical axis in a clockwise direction, the' forward or cuttingstrand of said cutting chain having its cutting bars extending beyondthe forward edge of said frame so as to undercut and form a kerf in thematerial to be mined and permit the material to break down on saidmachine, and an endless conveyer mounted immediately to the rear of thereturn strand of said cutter chain and extending parallel with saidcutter chain, said conveyer traveling around a vertical axis in acounterclockwise direction and being provided with overhanginghorizontally extending conveyer flights, so that the forward orconveying strand of said conveyer co-operates with the return or rearstrand of said cutter chain to convey the material broken down on saidmachine lengthwise thereof, power means for operating said cutter chainand said conveyer, and means for feeding said machine bodily into thematerial being mined.

5. In a mining machine of the longwall type having an elongated frameextending parallel with the face of the material to be mined, and havingmeans for undercutting and forming a kerf in the material to be mined, aconveyer located to the rear of said undercutting means, said conveyercomprising an endless chain trained over sprockets rotating about avertical axis, conveyer flights having one end pivotally mounted on saidchain so as to extend horizontally outward therefrom, and means forfolding said flights back along said conveyer chain as said chain movesaround to return position.

6. In a mining machine of the longwall type having an elongated frameextending parallel with the face of the material to be mined, and havingmeans for undercutting and forming a kerf in the material to be mined, aconveyer located to the rear of said undercutting means, saidconveyer'comprising an endless chain trained over sprockets rotatingabout a vertical axis, conveyer and forming a kerf in the materialmined,

a conveyer located to the rear of said undercutting means, said conveyercomprising an endless chain trained over sprockets rotat ing about avertical axis, conveyer flights having one end pivotally mounted on saidchain so as to extend horizontally outward therefrom, and means forautomatically folding said flights back along said conveyer chain assaid chain moves around to return position.

8. In a mining machine of the longwall type having an elongated frameextending parallel with the face of the material to be mined, and havingmeans for undercutting and forming a kerf in the material to be mined, aconveyer locatedto the rear of said undercutting means, said conveyercomprising an endless chain trained over sprockets rotating about a.vertlcal axis, conveyer flights having one end pivotally mounted on saidchain so as to extend horizontally outward therefrom, means forautomatically folding said flights back along said chain as saidchain'moves around to return position, means'for returning said flightsto extended position as said conveyer chain moves into conveyingposition, and means for maintaining .said flights in extended positionduring the conveying passage of said conveyer.

9. A combined mining and loading machine comprising an elongated mainframe, a cutter chain adapted to travel lengthwise of said machinearound a substantially vertical axis, the forward on cutting strand ofsaid cutting chain having its cutting bars extending beyond the forwardedge of said frame so as to undercut and form a, kerf in the material,to be mined and permit the material to break down on said machine,

an endless conveyer mounted to the rear of said cutter chain andextending parallel with said cutter chain, said conveyer travelingaround a substantially vertical. axis in a direction opposite to thedirection of said .cutter chain, so that said oonveyer and the frame soas to undercut and form a kerf in the material to be mined and permitthe material to break down on said machine, an endless conveyer mountedimmediately to the rear of the return strand of said cutting chain andhaving its conveying strand traveling in the same direction. asthereturn strand of said cutting chain, so that said conveyor and returnstrand of said cutting chain cooperate to convey the material brokendown on said machine lengthwise thereof.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

EDWARD OTOOLE.

